New-look Derby City Lab set to reopen inside Derbion

The award-winning Derby City Lab is set to re-open inside the Derbion shopping centre.

When it first launched in 2022, the lab was housed in a unit in St James’s Street, provided courtesy of Clowes Developments.

Now, the lab, which is a public/private partnership involving Marketing Derby, Derby City Council and the University of Derby, is relocating to Level 2 of Derbion, which becomes one of its partners for 2024.

The new incarnation of the lab will open its doors for the first time on 20 February to welcome delegates from Marketing Derby’s Annual Business Event, which will take place on the same day at Derby Theatre.

It will then open to the public seven days a week from 4 March.

Beth McDonald, managing director at Derbion, said: “We are delighted to be working with Marketing Derby in bringing the national award-winning Derby City Lab to Derbion.

“We know our visitors will be excited to see the plans and development projects that will transform Derby’s city centre over the coming years.”

Adam Rodgers, inward investment executive at Marketing Derby and Derby City Lab lead, said: “Our fantastic new location will enable us to build on the huge success of the award-winning lab.

“It presents a great opportunity to engage with a wide variety of people, gain their feedback and discuss ideas on regenerating the city centre.”

The purpose of the Derby City Lab is to engage the wider community in better understanding the evolution of the city and investment pipeline – and is based on the concept of Urban Rooms in cities such as London, Amsterdam and Shanghai.

Last year, the public/private partnership behind the lab, which also included Clowes and Lathams, was recognised at the prestigious EG Awards, organised by Estates Gazettes, winning the Public/Private Partnership Award, ahead of entries submitted by London Brent Cross, Liverpool and Manchester.

The new incarnation of Derby City Lab will house the City Living Room, which includes detailed information about the city’s investment pipeline.

And the centrepiece will be the brand-new Derby City Model – a detailed 3D model of Derby city centre, which aims to help visitors visualise the city’s ongoing regeneration story.

The lab will also host a rolling programme of dynamic exhibitions and discussion groups focused on ideas to regenerate Derby.

It will be manned by Marketing Derby staff and ‘lab assistants’, which the inward investment agency is currently in the process of recruiting.

The new lab will be located on Level 2 of Derbion, next to Castle Galleries and opposite Frasers/Sports Direct and M&S.

For more information about the Derby City Lab, please visit https://www.marketingderby.co.uk/derbycitylab/ .